Biders Nacht

The aviator Oskar Marcus Bider and the film actress Julie Helene Bider: He is the protagonist of a new mobility in the air, and she is the protagonist of a new art form and independence as a woman. The sibling duo represents the new era of the Roaring Twenties, which they both tragically would not live to see. Zurich, on a Sunday evening in the summer of 1919. A group of young people gathers on Bahnhofstrasse. Among them is Leny Bider, the first film actress of Switzerland, and her brother Oskar, the undisputed star of the still young aviation industry. The king of pilots is throwing a party. He is bidding farewell to military aviation and wants to establish an airline. There is eating, drinking, laughter, and discussion. A beautiful unknown woman piques the curiosity of the men. The First World War is over, and the world stands at a turning point. The carefree spirit, economic prospects, and possibilities of modern technology allow the young people to look confidently towards the future. The evening turns into a long night, and no one suspects the drama that awaits them the next morning. Peter Brotschi skillfully intertwines the historical events from the founding period of Swiss aviation with an exciting fictional plot that takes place in the original locations still existing today in Zurich and Dübendorf. The book brings a legendary night back to the present. Sentence by sentence, it offers an exciting, educational, and touching reading experience.